14 replies to this topic

[AdvMutant]

Hey.
I'm still having a hard time choosing the best computer for myself, just when I decided I want an Eee PC I changed my mind after inspecting the Mac Mini. They are very different from each other. I was wondering what's gonna happen in the near future, there are correctly 3 main brand - the PC[desktop, nettop, laptop, etc.], the Mac, and Google's new Chrome Netbook. They all are different. Google are really new in the subject, but their netbook is really unique. What's gonna happen? Google's ChromeOS is basically a bootable web browser. I see their point, and agree with them. Everything is around the web today.

But how about us, the programmers? What will happen to standard software? Will Apple and Microsoft survive? So many questions... Maybe Microsoft and Apple will follow them, and there will be two types of computers - the traditional, like those we're using today that are great for servers, workstations and other resource-consuming activities, and the web-based that will be used for everyday tasks.

What do you guys think? What's gonna happen in the near future?

[Alexander]

Netbooks are crippleware architecture, and releasing an OS is just an option to satisfy a few people much like "crippleware" netbooks do already. Chrome OS is just Google's operating system, it is not "The Operating System", "The new guy", "The big game changer" -- it is just Yet Another Linux Distribution, and it will not become big (excuse harsh sounding tone)

[AdvMutant]

I'm talking about the whole pilot project. Dude, they give away free nettops!
I think it is a "game changer", that's cause it's the first of it's kind. Besides, Google is the fastest growing company I have ever seen. It reached near-monopoly over other search engines, in ~10 years.


Sounds just like those movies with a super AI that takes over the world. Scary?

[Alexander]

You have to understand the company came to existence when personal computers were so new, and there is always a chance for a monopoly to form out of a new sector especially as internet and personal computers were limited to North America for so long.

They gave the (limited world) what they wanted, it wasn't something to catch on, google was required to serve as a library for the internet, of course it is large it was the only actual one.

[AdvMutant]

I see your point. Still, I don't want them to grow too much. Either way, even if ChromeOS isn't a big deal, they're gonna keep growing.

[Alexander]

Where are they going to expand to? China cut them out, developing countries have lack of infrastructure, I do not know why you think they will keep growing.

[AdvMutant]

Because they're a company. It's either they're gonna expand, or fail. They have a really strong base, so failure is not an option lol. A company simply can't stay as-is, eventually people will leave it because it's not releasing new product sand stuff. There might be a small grocery store near someone's house that isn't really expanding or failing, that's cause there isn't really a demand to some kind of new snack. People like it as-is. Marketing giants, on the other hand - say that Microsoft has a new smartphone. People will suddenly be drawn to it. If someone buys it, he can say "Look, it's the new Microsoft's phone! How cool is that?". Let's assume that Google stopped producing new smartphones. People will think it's crap and they'll be right - Microsoft will come up with new features and updates and will eventually become better. What do you prefer to buy, something that haven't changed for years or something new? Of course, it depends, but we're talking about smartphones. I'd buy the Microsoft's phone.
Do you see my point?

[wim DC]

I don't like chrome OS because they appeir to not support hard disks. Everything's on online servers and you have to download everything...
I don't think my internet provider will like that... Neither would i like their bill

[mrlemke]

Chrome OS wont overtake everything in personal computing. You really should study at least some basic history before making all these half-cocked assumptions.

First, an OS where it has the power and not you doesn't bode well. Apple's market share in the PC market is very small at only 6.4%. People like freedom, and they don't enjoy being locked into anything.

Second, you will need a PC that doesn't always need online access. It isn't logical to go to the extreme of always online, all the time. That's stupid. If you don't store your data locally, you could end up losing that data. This has happened to people before, where they had to purchase their data from cloud hosting companies (or whatever the **** they're called). Also, what if your internet goes down? Well, you got a nice paper weight I guess.

[John]

Google sent me a Cr-48 a few days ago, but I won't have a chance to turn it on until next week. When I do, I will be happy to give a full review.

[AdvMutant]

John said:

Google sent me a Cr-48 a few days ago, but I won't have a chance to turn it on until next week. When I do, I will be happy to give a full review.

Congrats! :)

@daniel-lemke, Think of it as a really big cellphone. It's doomed if it's not connected, but most of the time it is. And it's very useful, in fact. But it's really dumb that they don't support hard drives, unless he's wrong. I mean wdf? Hard-drive less OS?

[mrlemke]

I already know that. Which is also why it is so problematic. It's a PC, not a cell phone. There should not ever be the necessity of an Internet connection just to be able to use your computer. There's a difference the Chrome OS and a cell phone have. I can use my cell phone out of service range, although I can't make calls or send text messages. I can't with Chrome OS.